A Changed Man
by Frozenstill
Summary: AU. PostHogwarts. Written preHBP. A OneShot fic based on the events that took place in Harry's seventh year, and the people that he lost because of it. Primarily written from Harry's PoV with flashbacks that swap to and from various other characters.


**Full Summary:**

AU. Post-Hogwarts. Written Pre-HBP. No Pairings. No Slash. Character Death. Angst, Action/Adventure fic, with flashbacks.

A One-Shot fic based on the events that took place in Harry's seventh year, and the people that he lost because of it. Primarily written from Harry's P-o-V with flashbacks that swap to and from various other characters.

**A/N: This story is a one shot that I wrote quite a while ago and only just considered posting here. Hope you like it, and any thoughts and comments would be greatly appreciated, thanks!**

This story takes place after the events of Harry's seventh year at Hogwarts, and he is now an Auror. Voldemort is gone for good this time, but Harry is still coming to terms with what happened that year and the people that he lost. 

(Contains flashbacks to Harry's seventh year too.)

**Be nice. This was the first fanfic I ever wrote. :)**

It was a dull Monday morning; rain had begun to fall splashing Harry's glasses, obscuring his vision. He was flying on his broomstick, 50 or so feet in the air. It was still early; nobody in their right-mind would be up at this hour looking out of the window. But that was it exactly; Harry wasn't in his right-mind, not since what had happened last year. The final showdown had been between himself and Voldemort... but not alone. They both suffered from each other's curses. Harry had been learning spells to harm and disarm throughout his last year at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, alongside his Auror training, for which Dumbledore and Cornelius Fudge had insisted professional Hit Wizards and Aurors train him. Everyone had been counting on him, everyone seemed to have thought it quite simple; he, Harry, would duel with Voldemort, defeat him and the Wizarding world would be saved, _'Oh how wrong they all were'_ he thought to himself.

He soared higher into the grey sky, above the low murky clouds. The sun would be rising soon, and he only had a few minutes left before it would be too dangerous for him to be out flying alone. For even though Voldemort was gone, not all of his supporters were. Most of the _'weaker'_ Death Eaters had given themselves up and turned spy on the more _'devoted'_ of Voldemort's supporters, as they feared life imprisonment inside Azkaban, the Wizard Prison.

Harry sighed as the first glimpse of the sun began to roll over the hillside, from up there he could see everything: the hills, the city, (which was nearby), even the sea. The only problem was, soon people would be able to see him too. He lowered the handle of his beloved Firebolt and was soon back on the ground again. He gave another sigh as he hopped off from the gleaming red broom. Carrying it over his shoulder as he began up the hill that led to a small wooden shack, this was Harry's home when he wanted to get away from Grimmauld Place; that house was too much of a reminder of Sirius to Harry, and now he was plagued with the memory of those that had died in protecting him, in helping him, before the final showdown with Voldemort.  
He shuddered as the faces of those who had passed away flashed before his eyes. Members of the Order, there weren't many that were still alive now, Voldemort had seen to that. Only Lupin, Tonks, McGonagall, Snape and Mrs Weasley remained. Arthur Weasley had thwarted Lucius Malfoy, after he had kidnapped Ron, Harry's best friend. It had seemed that Voldemort thought he could play Harry a fool twice, pulling the same stunt he had at the Ministry, causing Sirius' death. Harry replayed the second-hand memory in his mind, as if it had been only yesterday... 

oooooooooooooooooooooo

"RON!" hollered Mr Weasley, he had just blasted the doorway apart of a secret cabin, which Malfoy and some of the other Death Eaters had been using.

Lucius Malfoy was dragging a stunned Ron through a back door. He had his wand pointed at him as Mr Weasley's voice echoed around the hollow cabin.  
"Weasley?" Malfoy hissed. He flung Ron's arm to the floor, causing him to clatter to the ground as he disrupted the dust that already lay there and it fell around his limp form.

"YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS MALFOY!" screamed Mr Weasley. "There's no escape for you now, Fudge will have already alerted the Aurors..."  
Malfoy, who sounded a high pitch cackle that rang through Arthur's ears, cut Mr Weasley short.  
"What? What is SO funny?" added Mr Weasley, directing his wand to Malfoy's heart.  
"You really think that a blood-traitor like you, will be able to thwart ME?" questioned Lucius, as he began to cackle again. "You may have the mouth to say it Arthur, but you and I, and everyone else in this world know that... you don't have the nerve, nor the power to even attempt to kill me!" he was just about to ring out his mirthless laugh again as Arthur took a step closer to him, and yelled, "CRUCIO" 

Malfoy had fallen to the floor, his very bones on fire, the pain excruciating, like nothing he had ever felt before. Mr Weasley's emotions were running high, it had been a powerful curse, he watched as though in slow motion, as Lucius Malfoy's body began to shake and contort, his eyes rolling inside their sockets, sweat pouring from his albino skull.

Finally, the effect of the curse was thinning, although Malfoy was still shaking violently, a flash of lightning from outside shone from the dust-ridden window, exemplifying both of their faces, Malfoy's a look of shock and pain. Whilst Arthur's was a menacing stare of loathing and of triumph.  
His wand remained steadily pointing at Malfoy, as he bent down to pick-up his wand. He took into each hand, and snapped it in half. He pocketed the remnants of the wand and then walked over to where his son lay. He knelt at his side, and rolled him onto his back. His body flopped lifelessly onto the ground. Arthur felt a prickly feeling swell in the corners of his eyes, but he fought it back reminding himself that he wasn't out of the woods yet, Malfoy was still there.

He hastily pulled himself together, not wanting Ron to see him in such a state. _"Enervate"_ he muttered. Instantly, Ron's form sprang to life, he opened his eyes groggily, noticing his Dad hovering above him. "D-Dad?" asked Ron, getting to his feet. "Ron, are you ok?" asked Mr Weasley whilst inspecting a cut on his head. "I'm fine Dad, w-what happened?" he answered. Mr Weasley, stepped aside, revealing Lucius Malfoy, who was still on the floor, apparently unconscious...

"But Dad how did you..." questioned Ron, but Mr Weasley told him that they needed to get out of here, "... soon the Aurors will be here Ron, they can take care of him" replied Mr Weasley, giving Lucius a look of disgust. He turned back to Ron, and began to tell him of how to escape without getting caught, as Ron at the time hadn't passed his apparation test, and so it wouldn't be safe for him to disapparate, not now.

Meanwhile, little did they know, now that Mr Weasley had turned his attention back to his son, that Malfoy was no longer on the floor, he had recovered from Arthur's curse, and he was ready to strike...

"DAD!" screamed Ron, he was pointing over his father's shoulder, to Arthur's horror, Lucius still had Ron's wand from when he had cursed him, he was pointing it directly at Arthur's heart.

"You should have known that I would always have the last laugh Arthur; you should have killed me when you had the chance to, but now it is my pleasure instead. Say goodbye to your son Arthur... AVADA KEDAVRA!" 

The merciless high-pitched cackle rang through the cabin as a flash of green light flared and illuminated the once dark room, it was now lit by a sickening eerie green, and as the light passed, all that could be heard were the muffled sobs of Ron as he cried into his Dad's tatty green robes, as he lay there upon the floor, where he had fallen protecting his son. 

Harry was now inside his home, it felt like home to him, although he had few personal possessions, other than the essentials for his job. Being an Auror, he felt he didn't need much else. He found that since leaving Hogwarts he had distanced himself away from his old school friends including Ron and Hermione. He could no longer bear to hear how Mrs Weasley was to be found always in the kitchen, busying herself with cooking and household chores just to take her mind off of her husband's death. Harry didn't want to face her, he felt partly responsible for his death as Malfoy only kidnapped Ron to try to get Harry to rescue him, and overly bring him face-to-face with Voldemort.

Ron hadn't spoken much since the incident, he rarely left the Burrow any more and was to be found also around the house, helping Mrs Weasley with the chores. His dream of becoming an Auror too, dashed.

Hermione however, had been in constant contact with Harry; she wrote him at least twice a week, sometimes more. Although Harry could never find the things that he wanted to say to her, and so stopped replying, at which he was grateful Hermione obviously understood and so kept writing anyway. She was doing very well for herself, she was working in the Muggle world, but living in the Wizarding world, Gringotts had recently decided a new exchange policy where you could swap Muggle money for Wizard's and vice-versa.

Harry's thoughts wondered to someone else who died whilst protecting him, and for whom Harry carried the biggest burden of responsibility for, was Albus Dumbledore.

Harry reminisced over the final battle between himself and Lord Voldemort, and how Dumbledore's death had come to pass. 

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"You cannot win Tom. There is no escape!" called Dumbledore. He held his wand tightly. There was no twinkle in his eye. His wand was not aiming for Voldemort's heart; Dumbledore wasn't a murderer.

They were inside the Great Hall of Hogwarts. Voldemort's Death Eaters had encircled him and Dumbledore; all had their wands pointed directly at Dumbledore. "What do you mean? There is no escape! Look around you Dumbledore! YOU are the one who is surrounded, there shall be no sunrise for you after this day!" stormed Voldemort, his nostrils growing inhumanly pale as they flared with every word. 

Earlier that day, the Great Hall had been a flurry with students. Busy chatting and enjoying themselves during the evening's feast. Now though, most were still asleep, as were some of the professors. None were aware of what was happening inside the Great Hall, all except one boy. Harry had felt Voldemort's presence. He was unable to sleep with the searing pain that burnt from the lightning bolt scar on his forehead. He had thought better of waking Ron, his best friend, from his slumber he would only worry hysterically.

No, instead he dressed at lightning quick speed and raced from the boy's dormitory all the way to the solid wood doors that were closed in front of him, he drew out his wand, he could hear voices from inside the hall, he knew what to do, but nothing could have prepared him for what he was about to see…

…he unlatched the heavy doors taking a deep breath, he then continued to walk inside. Harry almost dropped his wand when he saw the number of Death Eaters that stood inside the hall. The four house tables that had previously that day been stood in their places, had been crashed into the walls, and blown to pieces. At the centre of the circle stood Voldemort, his wand still pointing at Dumbledore's heart. 

Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix, had been turned to stone, an alarming face it pulled as if in severe pain. Harry gulped, Dumbledore was trapped, surrounded even, and now Voldemort had spotted him. "Harry! How nice of you to join us." Voldemort gave a wry smile as Dumbledore sent Harry an apprehensive look. Harry joined the encircled, while the Deatheaters sneared behind their masks _"'the boy who lived? huh! Not for much longer!"_ Harry heard one whisper as he passed them.

He turned to face Voldemort, who now had his wand on Harry. He looked him in the eye. He wasn't a little boy anymore, he was a seventeen year old young man, and matched Voldemort's height. "Well, well, haven't we grown this year." Mocked Voldemort, Harry drew his wand to Voldemort's heart, taking a step toward him, ignoring the burning sensation from his scar.

"Leave Voldemort, now is not the time for this." hissed Harry.  
"Not the time? I think now is the perfect time. Don't you agree?" Voldemort added to the circle around them. There was a murmur of agreement that strolled around the circle.

Voldemort, his wand still firmly pointed at Harry's heart, who mirrored his poise, addressed sections of the circle, sending them off into the castle, after the other students and the teachers. Soon they had all left. Dumbledore was livid, a sudden rage filling inside of him, he stepped to Harry's side, taking him by surprise, and he knocked him away from Voldemort forcing himself in front of Voldemort's wand.

Voldemort revealed a wide smile, it was sickeningly grotesque, Harry thought. He picked himself up from the floor.  
Suddenly cries and shouts could be heard about the castle. The Death Eaters had obviously found people, possibly not the students, as most should have been hidden in their dormitories, which would require passwords for them to gain access to.

Dumbledore and Harry became distracted as a Death Eater returned with a student that was being spun high in the air, round and round, it was dizzying to watch. The Death Eater merely laughed, considering it as amusement. Dumbledore fired an icy blue coloured spell at the Death Eater, who collapsed in a heap upon the highly polished floor. The student was lowered to the ground using the levitation spell, _'Wingardium Leviosa'_ It was revealed that the student was Colin Creevey, his face a pale white as he retched over the semi-conscious Death Eater lying next to him.

Voldemort's face contorted, he fired a curse at Harry, pinning him to one of the walls, his wand flung from his hand, the sound ricocheting off the walls. Dumbledore turned in alarm, to see Voldemort's psychotic grin as he yelled "CRUCIO" causing Harry to shake and shiver, his eyes rolling, his mouth drooling slightly, as tears swelled in his eyes from the pain of the curse.

Voldemort's laughter rang in his ears, until it finally stopped and he suddenly felt a sinking feeling. The spell pinning him to the top of the wall had been released he was falling from a great height at an alarming rate, and there was nothing he could do about it, Voldemort had his wand, and he noticed how Dumbledore and Voldemort were now duelling by the entrance.

He let out a yell as he ascended to the ground, finally smashing into the solid oak floor in a heap. He felt as though he had broken every bone in his body. Two Deatheaters who were struggling to stun a highly irrational Professor Flitwick had occupied Dumbledore, leaving Harry to face Voldemort alone, just as the prophecy had said...

"It is now time for you to say goodbye, Harry potter." breathed Voldemort. "You'll be with those parents of yours soon Potter…" Dumbledore realised what was happening, Harry was unable to move, this was the end, there was no escape, not this time.  
Dumbledore raced toward Voldemort and at the exact same moment, both yelled, "AVADA KEDAVRA"

Dumbledore and Voldemort were illuminated in an eerily green light, frozen in time. Harry watched in horror as both drew their last dying breaths. As Voldemort landed with a thud ten feet or so away from where he had previously stood, and as Dumbledore dropped, landing before Harry, his face turned toward him, a gentle smile upon his face, his eyes closed, Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, was no more. Nor was the most evil of Wizards that had ever lived, Lord Voldemort.

Harry lay there frozen; he wouldn't have been able to move even if he had tried, he was sure he had broken almost every bone with his fall. All he could do was wait for someone to come, someone to help him.

Soon enough the Death Eaters were beginning to realise what had happened. Their master was dead. They no longer had a leader, someone to give them commands. They began to leave. Some with wide smiles as they passed Harry, noticing his incapability to move or stop them, each mourned the sight of their fallen master, as they passed.

A chubby round figure, cloaked and masked approached Harry, his wand outstretched, his sobbing could be heard from behind the mask as he wailed over his master's limp form. Harry recognized this figure immediately to be Wormtail, once known as the shy marauder Peter Pettigrew. One of Harry's father's old friends, and that of Sirius and Remus too. Harry shuffled slightly, trying to reach Dumbledore's wand, but the pain was unbearable.

He breathed heavily as a smile twisted across Wormtail's face. His wand pointed directly at Harry's heart. "This is for Lord Voldemort. Goodbye, Harry Potter." Wormtail declared. "AVADA…" Harry closed his eyes knowing what was about to come. But suddenly a flash of red light blazed across his eyelids, preceded by the holler, "STUPEFY!" 

Harry opened his eyes in a shot; Wormtail had been knocked unconscious, thrown against one of the Great Hall's walls. Harry turned to where Wormtail had previously been standing, but was now replaced by a quivering Professor McGonagall.

She turned to look at Albus Dumbledore, her former friend and employer, a silent tear rolled down her cheek, as Harry lay in silence, still unable to believe what had just happened. 

The memories of Harry's seventh year at Hogwarts were mainly filled with grief and sorrow. Sometimes he secretly wished that Professor McGonagall hadn't been in time to save him that day, as now all that he was left with were looks of pity from his friends. Emotions of anger and hatred toward Voldemort, and the longing desire to be able to turn back time, to save Dumbledore, even if it meant taking his place.

Harry sat in his armchair by the smouldering fire he had lit. Pondering over his thoughts and emotions. _'I need to get away from here'_ he found himself saying aloud. _'I need to go out and do my job!'_ he exclaimed aloud.

He shook his head clear of his ponderings, pushing everything to the back of his mind as he always did, and went into his bedroom to get ready for work. 

**So, what did you think? Good or bad, I don't mind, just let me know what you think in a review! Thanks! Sam.**


End file.
